My True Love Gave To Me
by fallenfaeangel
Summary: I am attempting to do a 12 days of Christmas, slightly crack-ficcy, fluff. Dramione (Draco/Hermione) 7th year, post-war. Come, count down the days with me.
1. Partridge In A Pear Tree

AN: Draco/Hermione fic. Aiming for a fluffy if slightly cracky story. I am unsure what the average chapter length will be at this time. I am going to try and do all 12 days though!

School had been very strange after the war, all the 7th years had returned to go through their final year properly. Those that survived anyway. Or were not imprisoned. The entire school hierarchy had shifted, which left Hermione in a very strange life.

Before she could tell that Draco was interested in her, and she him. Two kindred souls on opposite sides of the war. He had always pushed her to keep on trying, pushed her to put the extra effort in instead of just being marginally better than others.

Now though the feelings were still there, but Hermione was now extremely popular and desired as a war hero and Draco was an outcast for being a Death Eater. She really didn't like the popularity, she preferred being left alone to her books with only Harry and Ron for company with the random Luna, Neville, and others to displace the monotony. Honestly, she still didn't care what people thought anymore than she did before she went and became a soldier.. Really there was nothing keeping her from Draco but himself now that it was all behind them. Blind in his self-pity had left her to be the only one to take action and break the stalemate.

"Harry," She called out to her friend deciding to recruit his help.

"What is wrong Mione?" He asked seeing her face slightly scrunched in thought once he came over from his exploding snap game.

"Nothing is wrong exactly, I actually think I may need your help.. I am sick of skirting around the issue of my romantic life….or the total lack of it.. I don't want to be with someone just because I am now a war hero. None of them want me for me, just the title that comes along with marrying me." She said morosely.

"Okay...so...what are you going to do?" He asked unsure trying to see how he could help.

"I am going to take advantage of the holiday season and finally make a move. I am going to do the 12 days of Christmas, work my way into Draco's heart and stop acting like we are children. I am getting sick of this game Harry. We have danced around this issue long enough and nothing but the twisted societal conventions are limiting us anymore." Hermione said looking at him sadly.

"Seems like a good plan. Wait…" Harry said looking at her confused, "Draco? As in Draco Malfoy? The great bouncing ferret?" He question with a puzzled look falling over his face.

Hermione let out a soft sigh, "Harry….I feel…" She tried to start off before ending it with a sigh. "No one challenges me. I tried so hard to feel something deeper for Ronald, but it felt wrong. I feel like everyone would bore me. Draco...he always challenges me. I am never bored. There is so many reasons…" Hermione said trailing off in thought.

Harry let out a sigh, "I will try to understand for you. I know everything wasn't how it appeared but you are going to have to understand I am going to have look past a lot with him. Trying to kill us, calling you a mudblood, bullying us…" Harry trailed off as he started thinking over how the situation would have to be handled.

"I need your emotional support...but I also wanted to let you in on my plan." Hermione said an excited look on her face normally only drawn out by the prospect of a rare-edition of a book.

"How can I possibly help you?" Harry asked confused.

"I have this idea….there is 12 days of Christmas right? Well I am going to twist it to my own needs. Gift a day that matches up to the song as best as I can. On Christmas I will make my final move." Hermione said pulling out her list she had started on. Harry pulled the list over and looked it over.

"Some of these are bloody brilliant connections. The missing ones I am don't know how to make them work. Like the leaping lords. That is going to be a challenge." Harry said mulling over her list. Harry handed the list back to her, "Wait here, I will be right back." He said before running up the stairs leaving a confused Hermione behind. He shortly appeared back down with a pouch in his hand that he tossed on her lap. "I can't be of too much help besides being supportive, let me help you fund your seduction attempt instead. Not like it is that much for me." Harry said with a smile.

"Don't call it seduction. It is more like…."Hermione said trying to find the word before letting out a sigh, "Fine, it is seduction. I would fight you on the money thing but I know you would find a way around that." She said tossing the pouch in her hand lightly.

"Go tomorrow, look around, and find what you want to get him. Money is no problem. Thinking more on it, watching Malfoy become tied to you and knowing how commanding you can be….it will actually be amusing." Harry said thoughtfully with a smile.

Hermione contemplated what she could find before sleeping for the night. The next day she took advantage of her adult-student status and went to Diagon Alley and started looking through the shops.

She mulled over how many different things she could do for 'partridge in a pear tree', while being in the wizarding world she could actually purchase a small tree and partridge, but she didn't feel like it was good enough. Finally she ducked into the owlery remembering that Draco's only owl was his fathers who now was constantly monitored and looked around. Finally she looked around for the perfect good before a smile broke out on her face. And the gift even came with it's own delivery system.

That night she spent planning the message she wanted to give him to send out in the morning for his first day of Christmas.

The next day Draco went down to the Great Hall for breakfast, tactfully avoiding the larger groups out of comfort. He looked up to see an unknown small owl flying towards him with a letter in its claws.. Draco stared wary at it as it landed in front of him before taking the message and opening it.

"_Dear Draco,_

_On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…  
A partridge in a pear tree._

_Or more accurately a burrowing owl that likes prickly pears. ~Said true love"_

Draco looked at the letter, "True love?" He muttered confused before glancing around to see if anyone was looking over besides curious glances. Seeing none he looked back at the letter. "This should be interesting." He said under his breath looking at his apparent gift. "Now just need to hope it isn't Pansy...though already it seems too clever for her."

Hermione watched on carefully at his confusion, appreciation, worry, and acceptance. Harry watched carefully as well, "An owl? How did you get an owl of a partridge?" Harry asked quietly.

"He needed one, it is a bird, and this type has a slight preference towards prickly pears. I thought it worked." She said with a shrug eating.

"It does work. Clever. Tomorrow you have two turtle doves though. Now this should be interesting to top for that." Harry said with chuckle. Hermione just grinned anticipating the following days leaving Draco to feed his new pet idly. Hermione has planning to do on turtle doves.


	2. Two Turtle Doves

AN:Second installment! Shorter one, I think the next one will be long for you all. Enjoy!

Hermione wrapped up her gift carefully the first night, delicately placing the two pieces in a box before wrapping it in the shape of a large dove with white paper. It was times like these she loved magic since she was fairly confident that she would never have made anything slightly resembling a bird. If she had attempted to do it the normal muggle way she knew that it would have most likely resembled some crumpled paper more balled up towards the sides. She set aside for morning before flopping back on her bed happily.

She stared up excited to the ceiling as she started thinking on her plan succeeding and seeing everything fall into place before drifting off with Draco's happiness in her thoughts.

While Hermione often had energy in the morning there was no hiding the bounce in her step. She perfectly cast the spell she had searched for to transform her paper bird into a self-delivering and artificially alive one. She was quite proud that she had found that spell, listed in a book that was generally random yet useless spells for the day to day life. She wasted her time waiting for the boys to wake up reading a large tomb in front of the fire in the common room per usual until she heard them clamber down the stairs.

She ignored the jibes for her reading instead of returning the banter as her sole focus was the outcome of her work. Breakfast began as it did every other morning to loud voices and food being passed around. She waited and responded detached as she ate her toast holding back an eager grin as she saw her gift swooping down.

Draco sat down at breakfast slightly anxious at what his apparent love would gift him with now. He had only gotten into a bite of bacon before a large dove-shaped paper bird began flying toward him and hovering until he moved a spot for it to land before it fell inanimate.

He poked at it with his wand unsure before opening it and rolling his eyes as the gift inside. He pulled out the letter written in neat cursive before letting out a small chuckle.

"Dear Draco,  
Do you realize how weird gifting turtle doves is? It is a strange tradition, so instead you are being gifted two chocolate turtles in a dove-wrapped box. I hope the little bit of sweetness helps you get through the day, I know how you enjoy chocolate.  
From,  
Still Your Love"

Draco looked over the gift in the box before pulling out two palm-sized chocolate turtles. He tried to narrow down who his secret gift-giver was with what they knew about him but much to his frustration the list was still long or left potential for people to stalk him and learn facts. Which honestly could be either.

Hermione watched Draco break off a piece and smile slightly once the flavor hit his tongue over her grapefruit. "Chocolate turtles? Really?" Harry said under his breath with a shake of his head.

"I thought it was witty. Besides, he likes chocolate. He just hides it." She muttered into her food embarrassed.

"Anything else that you have stalked out of him?" Harry said dryly.

"I am not stalking, I am observing." Hermione snapped at him trying to keep her voice low. Harry gave an amused hum of agreement before they resumed their normal topics in the group.

"Though if this is what you got for turtle doves then french hens shall be very interesting. What else have you stalked out of him?" Harry said causing Hermione to lash out and smack his arm.

"Shush it mister!" She snapped loud enough to draw the attention of her group causing her to flash an awkward grin in response. "Anyway...so how has Quidditich been going?" She asked spurring a renewed conversation that left her happily to her thoughts. She had planned the next day and she had planned it well. It was soon going to become a chore to top each previous gift and she couldn't wait for her prized end result.


	3. Three French Hens

AN: Sorry for the lateness in the day, started writing much later than usual. This one is a bit different than the other two but full of fluffy cuteness so I hope you like it! Enjoy!

A puff of smoke and some jolting movement was all that rose from Hermione's project. She mumbled under her breath in frustration before trying to cast the incredibly complicated spell again. She knew it was going to be complicated, only the most accomplished wizards typically animated non-living things to make them living. A few more failed attempts finally gifted her with success.

"Smartest witch of my age if I do say so myself!" She said smugly as her finished project tromped in random directions around the desk top immediately playing with each other and any thing she left down. She had been careful in her selection for three french hens. She instead went with a miniature dragon that was larger and two smaller ones. One for him to focus on and two smaller ones for amusement as well. She chose to make the main one a Norwegian Ridgeback, as they seemed the most playful out of the ones she knew. That one was roughly the size of her forearm, not including the long tail. The two smaller ones were a third of the size, a Common Welsh Green and a Chinese Fireball.

She thought of eventually making one for herself in the future, they were cute and had personalities but as the joys of being magically created were now need for food and water and could be shut away for years and be no worse for wear or even care that they were shut away. She figured the larger one could likely be used for mail as well, though probably not something one would want for anything besides personal as it was a bit unusual. Actually, that was an idea for her to market, she thought making a note to look into it after school.

She picked up the rambunctious three and placed them in the large box she had prepared before promptly wrapping it in festive red and green paper. She magically adhered her next note and a giant 'THIS SIDE UP' note to the top before calling out, "Glitzy!" She said clearly and smiled lightly at the instantaneous pop as the house elf appeared.

"Hows may Glitzy assists you Miss?" She asked eagerly, straightening her over abundance of sparkly ribbon that adorned her outfit.

"I need you to deliver this to Draco Malfoy in his room. You don't need to see him, just need it placed at the foot of his bed. He can't know I sent it, I am trying to be secretive in giving him gifts and this one is just too large to deliver by owl. Can you do that for me?" She asked politely.

Glitzy nodded her head rapidly, "Anythings to please you Miss. Wills that be alls Miss?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you very much." Hermione said getting a beaming smile before the house elf and the box disappeared. She had wished she could see how he reacted to the gifts but she knew this wasn't one she could deliver over Breakfast so right before was just as best. She finally began getting ready after her long morning as the rest of the dorm began to wake.

Down in the dungeons Draco woke with hearing a small pop and a weight at the end of his bed. He got up looking at the box at the end of his bed that was making noise. He knew his mystery love would be gifting him with another thing today, though normally they were presented at breakfast. Though looking at the size it was understandable that it couldn't be delivered. He picked up the note and smacked it against his other hand in thought looking at the box skeptically before opening the letter.

"_Dear Draco,  
Three French Hens sounded dreadfully boring, so instead I got you something better. For your company, letter-delivery, and decoration (also maybe some bragging rights). I hope you enjoy them._

Love,  
Still the same person as the other two, really now."

The noise from inside was making him uneasy so he stepped back and used a short spell to open it. When nothing sprang out to attack him he approached it slowly. He jumped back slightly and cursed at himself when a small dragon head poked over the edge and looked around. Two smaller ones clambered up its back and tumbled onto the bed. The other one tried to follow suit, only to tip the box forward and tumble out of the box, off the bed, and roll to a stop Draco's feet.

"Miniature dragons. She made me miniature dragons...how in the hell…?" He muttered to himself picking up the Norwegian Ridgeback up and placing it on the bed, ushering the smaller two to stay close. "This level of spellwork….Hermione?" He muttered to himself. He wanted it to be so but he didn't know if he was excluding other options through wishful thinking. He placed them in a row and ordered for them to stay as he prepared for the day. After he was done getting ready he placed the smaller two in his luggage with orders to sleep. He was mentally thankful that magic made them so vastly different to other pets as they instantly obeyed. He picked up the larger one and set it on his shoulder waiting for it to get comfortably for walking.

"I think you are going to be named….Bane….because I think you are going to end up the bane of my existence." He muttered to the dragon getting a nuzzle in return. He bit down the smile and glared at everyone in passing. Entering the dining hall his eyes darted over to Hermione only to sadden slightly that she appeared totally disinterested in him before sitting down at his table and beginning to eat. He set the dragon down and watched it become bored quickly before attacking a green apple on the table happily. He looked up again at Hermione before hope grew in his heart again as he saw her looking over. She looked eyes with him momentarily before hastily looking away and joining back in her conversation. He desperately hoped that the slight grin on her perfect lips was for him but the critic in him told him no, that she only looked over to see the new dragon. The little hope still burned bright in him though when she glanced back over with the same soft smile before leaving the table. The little flame burst into a small fire as he fought to keep a smile off his own face before turning back to his new gift that belched out apple-smelling flames. Shaking his head at it's antics and kept kindling the own flame in his heart with the thoughts of his favorite bookworm.


	4. Four Colly Birds

AN: This chapter is a tad flirty/ risque. Just a little fun! Sadly shorter than the others but I was having an off day, sorry if it is sub-par. Enjoy!

Many hours passed looking through options as what she could substitute for colly birds. Nothing in particular either sounded like what one would gift to someone or even something happy. In general they actually seemed to come up with many disturbing symbols. Picking one of the better ones she had to smile slightly. She was going to give Draco a hint and up the ante a little.

Hermione packed the box before her, enjoying the silky material flowing across her fingers as she placed them in the box properly folded. She wrapped it in silver and gold festive paper before placing her customary note on top. With a quick call to Glitzy it was whisked away to be deposited once again at the foot of Draco's bed.

Draco slept soundly oblivious to the package waiting for him until finally turning and stretching slightly causing the box to slide and clunk onto the floor. A head full of ruffled blonde hair poked out looking around before tiredly getting up and searching for what dropped. His eyes cleared as he focused in on the early gift before picking it up and sitting on the bed casually. He took the latest card off and began reading.

"_Dear Draco,  
Four colly birds is incredibly hard to gift, and also not something people typically want. I tried looking up symbolism and decided that the ones that had to do with pleasures of the flesh and such sounded the most fun. The piece is cut just for my body, can you find me?_

_Love,_

_Me"_

Draco read the note again before opening the gift quickly. Three black silk boxers resided in the box and one silk nightgown. He lifted up the short nightgown and tried to match up who the green dress would fit, happily imagining Hermione in it. At that moment Draco came to the startling conclusion that he was a very poor judge of measurements. Though the thought was brightened by the thought of Hermione in the nightgown in his mind. Folding the articles half-hazardously back into the box quickly he went and put it on his desk under the sleeping Bane. He bustled tiredly back to bed to see about mentally comparing the article to Hermione in a few more hours at breakfast.

When he finally joined the clamor of the Great Hall he was pleased to see that Hermione had yet to arrive. He sat down and began eating keeping a constant watch on the entrance. Finally she entered with her obnoxious friends and his eyes roamed over her body. It was at these moments that Draco despised the school uniform, especially since Hermione wore the correct sizes which made her measurements a hard judge. Giving up and just imagining at his leisure left Hermione to take pride in his attention.

She knew the tantalizing hint would aggravate him on a certain front, information he could do nothing with but hope. She took pleasure in how fast he deduced that she was the most likely candidate and wasn't burning the gifts.

"Do I even _want _to know why Malfoy is eying you like a slab of meat?" Harry muttered under his breath next to her.

"Do you know that colly birds are blackbirds? Or that black crows are commonly known for pleasures of the flesh?" Hermione said off-handed.

Harry looked at her for a moment before responding, "I am going to take that as _'No Harry, you don't want to know why'_." He said with a roll of his eyes. "And not particular, I only know that is related to dark things, which makes me question why it is in a Christmas song." He said confused. The rest of their morning fell away to chatter comparing wizard and muggle traditions that left many of the wizard born students around them lost. Draco eventually stopped staring at her so intently though a permanent smirk seemed engraved on her face. Hermione was happy with her days accomplishments, though now she had to top herself with five golden rings without actually giving him golden rings.


End file.
